Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-04-29

II ulAiS NhiNhN NHS J
of the trees. On the kitchen step sat
Eph, an orphan boy of II or Is the
! Standneges had adopted, whittling
hickory stick for whistle, and at
his side crouched lean, ugly hound
S'phiry could see her father tilted
back in chair against the loom,
talking to Jim Wise, valley farmer
who had come up to salt his cattle on
the mountains, while her mother and
sister passed back and forth preparing
supper. The voices of the men were
raised, and presently she heard Wise
sab:
The rainders air out ter-night, so
I hearn comin' up the mountain.
They air expectin' ter ketch up with
things this time. bein' as somebody
has been a,tellin'--it pears so, any
way"
S'phiry Ann pressed her hands to-
gether with little gasp.
"The boys air got they yeers open,"
said Mr. Standaege with slow
smile, his half-shut eyes twinkling.
"But this er unexpected move. an
they mayn't be lookin' for it," per-
sisted the other man.
They air always Already an a
lookin'. They amt to be tux nap
PIN"
But the girl listening with breath
less attention shivered, not sharing
her fathers easy confidence. She re-
membered that Gabe Plummer had
said they were coming down to old
man Whitaker's, and she knew that
they were off guard They would be
aught, she thought, with cold sen
sation around her neaFt, Gabe would
be put in Jail, locked up probably for
months, and then come back with all
the youth and strength gone from
him. Even as these thoughts were
passing through her mind, a sound
fell on her ears, faint, far away, and
yet to her, alert, keenly alive to the
approach of danger, terribly signif-
cant. 1t was the steady tramp of
iron shod hoofs upon the road, and it
approached from the valley. She sat
motionless, but with fierce beating
heart. listening and feeling sure it
was the enemy drawing near.
The revenue men had always look
ed upon the Standneges as peaceful,
law abiding citizens, and though no
information had ever been obtained
from them, the flicers sometimes
stopped with them, lounged on the
entry, or sat at their board, partakers
of their humble fare Probably they
intended stopping for supper. The
girl devotedly hoped they would.
The steady tramp grew louder, the
hound pricked up his long ears, sniff
ed at the air, then dashed around the
house with deep, hostile yelp. The
next moment party of horsemen
halted before the gate. Her fears
were realized.
The dog barked noisily, the men
chaffed each other in hilarious way,
while the horses stamped and breath
ed loudly, and the quiet place seemed
all at once viviGed with fresh life
atandneges went out to the gate, fol-
lowed by his guest; Mrs Standnege
and Polly came to the door and peer
out, and Eph burriedly closed his
knife and thrust the whistle into his
pocket preparatory to following his
elders. The officers would not dis
mount, though Hospitality pressed to
do So
"Ligbt, light, an come in; the
wimmen folks air Jest a-gettin' sup
per-" said Staudnege cordially"
x.'Business is too urgent We our
bound to capture our men tonight.
Why, the whole gang are coming
down Nut of their lair to old man
Whitaker's tonight, so we have been
informed, and we must be on hand to
welcome them"
Eph crossed the yard, but when be
would have stepped up to take short
cut through the entry, his hand was
caught in another hand so cold it sent
shiver of terror over him.
"My-why, S'phiry Ann !" he
sharply exclaimed.
"Hush" she whispered drawing
him out of the light. "Will you'uns
go with me ter old man Whitaker's,
Eph?'
"This time O. night?"
Eyes, now"
'It's more'n mile"
"We'uns'l take the nigh cut
through the woods.p
Ozark as all git out"
ppm not afeerd; I'll go erlone
then" she said with contempt.
"What air you'uns up ter? Good
Lord! S'phiry Ann, do you'uns think
that could be done, an they a-ridin'?"
suddenly understanding her purpose.
"Nothin' like tryin'," she replied,
and glded like a shadow around the
corner of the house
The boy stared for moment after
her.
"Well, | never!" he muttered, and
followed on
They ran through the orchard, an
ill-kept, weedy place full of stunted
apple trees, across a freshly plowed
field to the dense, black woods be-
yond. 1t was clear night, the sky
thickly set with start, and low in the
west pale new moon hanging be-
tween two towering sentinel peaks,
but the light could not penetrate to
the narrow pathway S'phiry Ann had
selected as the nearest route to Whita-
'ker's. The awful solitude, the in.
tense darkness did not daunt her
She knew the way, her footing was
sure, and she ran swiftly as deer be-
fore the hunters, animated by one de-
sire, to get to Whitaker's before the
officers. 1t was desperate chance.
If her father detained them a few
minutes longer-but if they FASTENED
on-she caught her breath and quick
ened her own steps. Eph stumbled
painting along behind her, divided
beween admiration at her feetness
and anger that he had been called on
to take part in such mad race.
la speaking of it afterwards, be
said:
Il never seed a creetur git over
more ground in ez short time se9ce
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